CANTERBURY SHOW

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27191, 7 November 1953, Page 9

CANTERBURY SHOW

THREE DAY FIXTURE NEXT WEEK

STRONG SHEEP SECTION The sheep section at the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s ninety-first metropolitan show, which will begin at Addington on Wednesday, will be one of the strongest in the history of the association, with 17 breeds represented in slightly more than 1000 pens. The show has become recognised as one of the greatest displays of sheep anywhere in the world! The entries this year total 1019. against 980 last year. The Corriedales are the largest single section with 318 entries, but Merinos, Southdowns, and Border Leicesters are also very strongly represented. Mr S. F. Miller, of Victoria, will come to judge the Merino sections. .

Of interest to the public at large, as well as those intimately connected with the sheep industry, will be de* monstrations in the morning and afternoon of Thursday and Friday by the champion shearer. Mr Godfrey Bowen, who is now on the instructional staff of the New Zealand Wool Board.

•Even with the bulk'of Jersey breeds ers out of the competition because of the association’s insistence on all cattle exhibited being certified free from tuberculosis, there will be few empty stalls in the cattle pavilion at Adding*ton, where there is accommodation Tbr 400 head. There will still be two breeders showing Jerseys. Horses and Ponies . 1 There will be more horses and ponies in the show. “My problem is to stow away 494 horses and ponies,” said the secretary of the association, Mr M. E. Lyons, yesterday. Entries have been kept down by the 'association severely restricting exhibitors from, entering ponies in other than their standard classes.

Before he left for home after "attending the last Christchurch show Mr James Milliar, a grazier, of Willatira, Victoria, left with the association a sum of money for two fine trophies because of his admiration for the sportsmanship of the child pony riders. These trophies have been allotted to the best pony and rider in the pony jump section and to the outstanding competitor in me junior riding classes under 11. Mr Milliar will again be present at this year’s show to see his trophies competed for. The programme of ring events will be as full as ever, but the light horse committee is expected to get it through smoothly and expeditiously, so that it will be completed within minutes of the scheduled finishing time on Friday. On Thursday there will be a special cattle parade at 1 p.DOL, and before the grand parade, timed to begin at 1.40 p.m. oil Friday, there will be a final run for the three finalists in the sheep dog trial. Mr Lyons said that the amoiXD}! of space booked by firms for trade-•dis-plays constituted a record. Farrfrjnachinery firms are already on -ithe ground preparing their exhibitC a £nd the display of farm implements <e-ex-pected to be fully as good as anyt&ing seen in the past.